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Miniature marvels under the microscope

Fruit flies, larvae, and flat-worms used by the University of Dundee in ground-breaking scientific research will be going under the microscope at Mills Observatory this week.

Members of the public are invited to delve into the world of the microscopic marvels in biological sciences from 1- 3pm on Wednesday, 26th July.

Admission is free and experts from the School of Life Sciences at the University will be on hand to help those attending in their interactive exploration of the miniature model organisms.

Dr Alan Prescott, a Senior Lecturer at the University who specialises in microscopy, said, “Fruit flies are commonly used to study the development of body parts and cells as they share many genetic similarities with humans. Microscopes help us to see the changes in detail that occur during development.

"This helps some of our researchers who use the fruit fly in their research to further the knowledge of cell development but also gain insight into human diseases such as cancer which could help others in the future.”

Christine Millar, Section Leader for Learning & Engagement at Leisure & Culture Dundee, said, “We are delighted to host another Wednesday Wonder with the University. Our partnership has allowed us to host exciting events using the interactive video wall that was installed for this project.”

The Microscope Marvels is a free event with interactive activities open to the public, part of the ongoing Outer Space | Inner Space project - an interdisciplinary collaboration by scientists from the University who are using technology to make the cutting-edge research from the School of Life Sciences accessible to all.